Cutter chain for mining machines



Dec. 15, 1942. F LEWIS 23055298 CUTTER CHAIN FOR MINING MACHINE FiledDec. 23, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Urnmb/Z orb law/r I I E/A/VE/VTOI?HTTOE/VEY Dec. 15, 1942. gw s I CUTTER CHAIN FOR MINING MACHINE sSheets-Sfleet 2 Filed Dec-. 23, 1939 001 440 flow Lew/s Dec. 15, 1942.o. F. LEWIS CUTTER CHAIN FOR MINING MACHINE Filed Dec. 23, 1939 3Sheets-- Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 15, 1942 CUTTER CHAIN FOR MINING MACHINESOswald Floyd Lewis, near Sheflield, England, as-

signor of one-half to Newton,- Chambers & Company Limited,v nearSheffield, England, a corporation of Great Britain Application December23, 1939, Serial No. 310,848

In Great Britain December 23,1938 I 9 Claims.

This invention relates to cutter chains for mining machines, and theinvention is concerned particularly with a cutter chain having its picksor cutters projecting from one side of the chain for use on a machinefor cutting out a core of coal or other mineral by means of thesidecutting chain running on an open rectangular jib which is movedtransversely through the mineral to be mined. 7 g

In such cases it is desirable that the pitch between any two adjacentpivot pins joining the pick boxes and connecting links into an endlesschain should be kept as small as possible and that the pick boxesthemselves should be short and compact as these conditions facilitatethe guiding and driving of the chain since they increase its flexibilityand they also make it possible to run the chain round sharp curves atthe corners of the jib frame- Accordingly one object of the presentinvention is to provide a cutter chain having'the component pick boxesof compact construction with the pitch between the pivot pins mountedtherein reduced as far as practically possible and another object is toenable the chain to be constructed in an expeditious manner and at lowcost.

A cutter chain according to the invention has the pick boxes thereofeach constructed with a pick block welded to a structure built up from apair of opposing fiat members spacedapart but connected together by acentral connecting member having its ends fitted into holes locatedcentrally between the ends of the fiat members and welded into place inthose holes. In the case of a side-cutting chain the pick block, inwhich a cutting pick or a pair of picks is or are secured in the usualmanner, is welded to the outside face of one of the flat members and thepivot pins on which the connecting links hinge are inserted through theopposite member and have project-- ing ends extending into recesses inthe pick block and are secured therein by locking pins or wires. Thecentral connecting member is preferably tubular and has opposite partsof its wall curved inwardly to clear the curved ends of the links.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example, a constructionof side cutting chain according to the invention. .In the drawings Fig.1 is a plan view of a portion of the chain, partly in section takenalong line ll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the chain, 1. e., looking at the face whichcontacts with the bottom of the channel guide in which the chain runs onthe jib.

Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the pick boxes of the chain'with thepicks omitted, and

' Fig. 4 ma sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1. 1 p I Thechain is intended to run in a'guide channel in an upright open frame orjib which is generally of rectangular shape and has the cutters or picksof the chain projecting from the guide channel on one side of it so thata core of coal or other in'ineral can be cut out by giving the 'jib' anadvancing movement at right angles to its plane in the direction inwhich the picks project. In the following detailed description the part'of the chain fromwhi'ch the pick blocks I and picks project (which isactually a side face of the chain'relative to the directionsin' whichthe chain is flexible) will consequently be refe'rredto as the front ofthe chain while the face of the chain which bears on the bottom of thechannel in which the chain is guided will be re ferred to as the rear ofthe chain.

- Each pick boxis built up of several main parts welded together, namelya rear member I, a front memberZ, a connecting member or tube 3 joiningthe front and rear members-and a pick block 4 projecting from the frontface of the front member 2. The rear member I consists of an oval shapedplate or forging having projecting from its front face adjacent itsstraight edges a pair of ribs or flanges 5 for engagement with retainersor shoulders projecting from the sides of the guide channel in the jibto keep the chain properly in the guide channel, and the front member 2is also of oval shape and similarly provided with flanges 6 forengagement with the other edges of the retaining shoulders provided inthe chain guide channel, but .the front face of the member 2 is enlargedto form a flange or cover 1 which extends over the edges of the jibguide when the chain is in place therein so that the cover I assists inpreventing the entry of chips or dust from the picks into the guidechannel.

Each of the members I and 2 is provided with a central hole shaped tofit one end of the connecting member 3 joining the front and. rearmembers and the connecting member is here shown as atube having twoopposite flat parallel wall portions 3a joined by inwardly curved wall'portions 31), as will be clear from Fig. 2.. The members I and 2 arewelded to the connecting member 3 by welds 8 at the ends of the tubeconstituting the connecting member. The rear end ofv the connecting tube3 is closed or partly closed by a suitably shaped piece of flat plate 9secured in the end of the tube by welds It To the front face 2a of thefront member 2 is Welded the pick block 4 provided with the usualsockets II for the picks [2 which are secured in place by holding boltsH3. The fact that the connecting, member 3 is a tube enables the bluntends of the picks to project right through the pick block 4 and into theinterior of the connecting member if necessary, and for the same reasonthe front end of the tube 3 is not brought right through to the front ofthe member 2 but stops short as shown. The welding by which the pickblock 4 is secured to the member 2 is indicated at 44'. Although thepick.

blocks illustrated are constructed to take two picks, other pick blocksprovided. with single picksockets or with pairs of sockets at. otherangles;

to those shown may be used instead, and. as the pick blocks are merelywelded to the front faces 2a of the front members 2 it is easilypossible to construct a pick box to take any desired arrangement ofpicks by welding on a suitable pick block.

The pick boxes are joined together to form an endless chain by theprovision of connecting links M which are coupled to the pick boxes bypivot pins I5 (Fig. l) on which the links can turn as the chain flexes.As the back face la of the rear member I has to slide along the bottomof the chain guide channel the pivot pins are recessed into the member Iand consequently each pin has a countersunk head l6 which fits into acountersunk hole I! in the rear member I while theremainderof the pinextends through a hole in the adjacent link and projects through afitted hole l8 in the front member 2. The-pivot holev in the. link" hasa wearing liner l9 (Fig. 1)

with a channel for lubricant therein. The

lubricant such as oil, issupplled to the channel 20 by an oil passage 2|drilled in the pin, the outer end of the longitudinal portion of thepassage 2| being closed by a screwed plug 22 although oiling can stillbe effected through the transverse oil hole 23 in the projecting end 24of the pivot pin l5.

In order to provide a compact construction and to facilitate the guidingand driving of the chain the two pivot pins [5 of each pick box havetheir projecting ends 24- recessed into the side faces of the pick block4 which is therefore cut away as indicated at 25- to clear theprojecting ends 24 which are correspondingly stepped as indicated at 26.

Each pin is held in place by a short rod or wire 21 which is fitted intoopposed grooves in the pin and block which may be formed by a holedrilled partly through the pin and partly through the side of the recess25 in the pick block as shown by the section in Fig; l, and the ends ofthe wires. 2'! are turned over as shown at 28 to prevent the Wire fromworking out. To facilitate the insertion or removal of the Wires 21 thehead [6 of each pivot pin is provided with a slot 29 for a screwdriverby which the pincan be turned to bring the two parts of the hole for thewire into proper alignment.

Each of the. links M has flanges 30 for cooperation with the retainingshoulders in the guide channel, similarly tov the flanges 5 and B of themembers I and 2. The driving of the chaintakes place through the teethof a driving sprocket engaging in suitably shaped holes 31' in the links14.

The above described construction enable pick boxes to be built up veryquickly and at a low cost since the component parts are easily made andfitted together and can be quickly welded together to produce a completepick box and the finished pick boxes can be rapidly assembled with thelinks to form a complete chain by the insertion and securing of thepivot pins by simple operations.

The completed pick boxes are compact and have the pitch between thepivot pins reduced by the recessing of the projecting ends of the pinsinto the pick blocks when the pick boxes are constructed for sidecutting chains.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by- Letters Patent is:

1'. In a mining machine cutter chain, a pick box structure comprisingopposing spaced flat members, said members having centrally disposedholes formed therein between the ends thereof, a tubular memberextending transversel between said spaced fiat members with its e dsfitted into said holes and welded therein, and a pick block welded tosaid structure.

12. In a mining machine cutter chain, a pick bbx structure comprisingopposing spaced flat members, said members having centrallly disposedholes formed therein between the ends thereof, a tubular memberextending transverse ly between said spaced flat members with its endsfitted into said holes and Welded therein, and a pick block welded tothe outer face of one of said flat members.

3. In a mining machine cutter chain, a pick box structure comprisingopposing spaced flat members receiving between them the rounded ends ofconnecting links, said. members being connectedv by a tubular member.having. opposite flat wall portions joined by concave wall portions ofthe same curvature. as. the rounded ends of the links, the ends of said.tubular member fitting into appropriately shaped holes midway betweenthe ends of said fiat members and being welded therein.

4. In a mining machine cutter chain, a pick box structure, comprisingopposing spaced flat members, a connecting member connecting said flatmembers together, said connecting member including an end recessextending between central portions of said flat members and beinginwardly spaced from the ends of said flat members, and a. pick blockintegrally connected to an outer flat side of one of said flat members.said pick block including removable picks and the inner ends of saidpicks being receivable in said end recess of said connecting member.

5.. In a mining machine cutter chain, a pick box structure, comprisingopposing spaced fiat members, a connecting member connecting said flatmembers together, said connecting member extending between centralportions of said flat members and being inwardly spaced from the ends ofsaid fiat members, a pick block integrally connected to one of said.flat. members, said flat members having centrally disposed opposingholes formed therein, said connecting member being received in saidholes, means integrally connecting said connecting member to said fiatmembers and said connecting member comprising a tube open at least atone end.-

6. In a mining machine cutter chain, a pick box having front and rearfaces, a pick block secured to. said front face, said block having endfaces, links at each end of said box adapted to connect said box toadjoining boxes, pivot pins pivotally connecting said links to said box,one

end of each of said pins extending outwardly of the front face of saidbox adjacent an end face of said block, locking means for retaining saidpins in place, said locking means being insertable between saidprojecting end of each of said pins and the adjacent end face of saidblock.

7. The structure of claim 6, opposable grooves in said projecting endsof said pins and said end faces of said block, and said locking meanscomprising locking pins receivable in said grooves.

8.'The structure of claim 6, recesses in said end faces of said blockpartially receiving said projecting ends of said pins, opposabletransverse grooves in said projecting ends of said pins and the floorsof said recesses, and said locking means comprising locking pinsreceivable in said grooves.

9. In a mining machine cutter chain, a pick box structure, comprisingspaced and opposed fiat members, a hollow member connecting said fiatmembers together centrally thereof, a pick block integrally connected toan outer fiat side of one of said flat members, an opening through saidlast flat member into the interior of said connecting member, and pickreceiving openings through said pick block and opening into said openingof said last named flat member.

OSWALD FLOYD LEWIS.

